Spanish
At the start of Year 7, all students, regardless of the language they have in the first term, do 5–6 lessons on language learning in general. We look to tap into the knowledge they have from primary school, from home languages and from other subject areas which can be used to help them learn a language. Students choose the two languages they would like to continue with for Years 8 and 9. This is a completely free choice.
We teach British values in the area of global citizenship. A message of tolerance and understanding in the context of learning more about the world is paramount in our approach. Our subject gives students valuable learning skills and strategies which they can apply to their other subjects, not least rote learning, a skill not much used in many subjects. We are a department which embraces technology and leads the school in our use of it, which increases student motivation, interest, IT skills, and relevance in the modern world.
Assessments are carried out at the end of units. They test the 4 key skills: Listening, Reading, Speaking & Writing. The curriculum we have designed helps to prepare all students to study the languages at GCSE and beyond. We offer a trip in Year 9 to Valencia.
Our Key Stage 3 curriculum has been put together to reflect what we feel is important for them to learn in terms of vocabulary, structures and grammar on the one hand, married to appropriate cultural input on the other. We change aspects of the subject content from time to time to reflect shifts in each country and the changing interests of our students too. It also feeds into the GCSE curriculum, so that it is a constant journey.
Languages are very much facilitating subjects; they exist alongside and interact with other subjects constantly and all students have the opportunity to see their place in the world as it relates to them.
At both Key Stages 4 and 5, our curricula are dictated by the exam specifications. All four skills are assessed equally at Key Stage 4 (Years 10-11), so Listening, Reading, Speaking & Writing all carry a 25% weighting. We offer an exchange to Murcia in Year 10. Our aim in Key Stage 4 is to prepare students for A Level and not just pass the GCSE. We consolidate the grammar and skills covered at Key Stage 3, but also build on and extend this knowledge by applying an increasing number of complex topics and structures.
We use a variety of authentic resources, such as songs, articles, alongside the course textbook to maintain interest, enjoyment and challenge. Spanish lessons are very varied in approach and students are used to tackling topics in a wide variety of ways. At Key Stage 5 (Years 12–13), students are assessed once again in listening, reading, speaking & writing, but they also have the opportunity to study a book and a film. They conduct an Independent Research project as part of their oral exam which can encompass any area of interest they have in any of the countries where Spanish is spoken. Year 12s are able to go on the exchange, and Year 13s have a trip to Madrid. FLTs are available for students to practise in small groups to improve their oral confidence and fluency. This also gives them an opportunity to learn about the target language culture and nuanced idiomatic expressions.
Student resources
The Google Drive, Google Site and Clickview are only available for students and teachers of Aylesbury High School. The Google Drive contains all Google-based resources used in lessons. The MFL Google Site contains extra resources and links to further learning and understanding.
The other quick links are to websites we subscribe to with extra resources. Students have their own login details given to them by the school.
| AHS only resources | Web based quick links |
Web based quick links |
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Extension work & wider reading at Key Stage 3 (Years 7-9)
If you have finished all the work set on Google Classroom/in lessons very quickly and/or if you’re looking for Spanish things to do to stop you getting bored, try out some of these suggestions. Don’t forget lots of links and reminders of logins etc on the MFL@AHS site
Vocabulary and grammar
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Linguascope - use the beginner section for Key Stage 3 revision or try the intermediate section for GCSE-level challenge!
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Oye: we no longer have a login for this, but it is free to use after 4pm
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Languages Online: no login needed – revise your grammar before the GCSE course starts!
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Languagenut: all students in Year 8 & 9 have a login for this
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The Great Languages Challenge: from the British Council, this ties in with what we have done in Year 7 and Year 9, about spotting the links between languages
Reading and listening practice
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BBC Bitesize - KS3 Spanish: useful videos and revision resources
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Duolingo Stories: if you don’t already have a Duolingo account, you can create one very easily using your school Google email
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Clan: Spanish channel RTVE’s channel for children, lots of cartoons and kids’ shows, really good for listening practice! You can have subtitles, but only in Spanish
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Don’t forget our Netflix recommendations – or try some Peppa Pig episodes!
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Listen to stories in Spanish on Audible (including “Harry Potter y la piedra filosofal”!)
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Track down the famous characters who have escaped from their paintings and are causing chaos in the Museo del Prado
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Listen to some of our top Spanish music recommendations – you could make a music video to accompany your favourite song!
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Or try a Spanish Zumba workout!
Recipes
Why not try some Spanish cooking … send us photos of anything you make to go on the AHS Spanish X page (@ahs_hispanists)! Also, send your teacher any other recipes you have tried, and we can add them to the list.
Arts and Crafts
Extension work & wider reading at Key Stage 4 (Years 10-11)
If you finish all the work set on Google Classroom very quickly and/or if you’re looking for Spanish things to do to stop you getting bored, try out some of these suggestions. Don’t forget lots of links and reminders of logins etc on the MFL@AHS site
Vocabulary and reading/listening practice
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Linguascope : the intermediate section is great for GCSE vocabulary practice.
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Languages Online: no login needed.
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Languagenut: all students in Year 10 & 11 have a login for this.
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GCSE Spanish - Edexcel (for exams from 2026) - BBC Bitesize: useful videos and revision resources.
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Conjuguemos: to practise verbs.
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Don’t forget our Netflix recommendations!
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Read some Spanish fairytales on The Fable Cottage
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Listen to and read some crazy stories on Duolingo Stories
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Listen to stories in Spanish on Audible
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Track down the famous characters who have escaped from their paintings and are causing chaos in the Museo del Prado
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Try some of these creative languages projects from Oxford University
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Try listening to some of our Spanish music recommendations
Youtube Channels
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Dulceida and LauraEscanes: 2 influencers (the videos have subtitles)
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Easy Spanish: videos to help you learn Spanish
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Extra Spanish: a series of 13 episodes – easy to understand
Recipes
Why not try some Spanish cooking … send us photos of anything you make to go on the AHS Spanish Twitter page! Also, send us any other recipes you try, and we can add them to the list.
Extension work & wider reading at Key Stage 5 (Years 12–13)
If you finish all the work set on Google Classroom very quickly and/or if you’re looking for Spanish things to do to stop you getting bored, try out some of these suggestions. Don’t forget about the A Level Spanish extra resources site for articles, videos etc linked to all the A Level topics.
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Kerboodle: all students have access to the online version of the textbook, so you can do extra reading/listening/grammar activities
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Instagram: (@ahs_hispanists) we post loads of links on here to stories and articles which would be great evidence for stimulus cards - you could go through and create a document of specific examples from the Spanish-speaking world
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VerTaal: excellent authentic listening resources (no login needed and they are self-marking)
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Practica Español: brilliant site with news videos, grammar and vocabulary practice
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Listening Practice: listening exercises with a focus on verb conjugation
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Listen to a variety of native speakers on Spanish Listening
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Conjuguemos: to practise your grammar
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Biblioteca Nacional de España: they have made their entire online catalogue available for free
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Track down the famous characters who have escaped from their paintings and are causing chaos in the Museo del Prado
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If you are a massive grammar nerd, have a look at Gramática histórica del castellano - a site about the history and etymology of the Spanish language
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Try to keep up with what’s happening in the Hispanic world on BBC Mundo and El País - start a section in your folder to keep examples of stories from the Spanish-speaking world, as you will need these for the stimulus card section of the oral exam.
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Don’t forget our Netflix recommendations!
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Check out RTVE (Spanish equivalent to iPlayer), which has thousands of films, documentaries and drama series, many of which are related to topics on our course
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Listen to the news on the News in Slow Spanish podcast
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Try some TED talks en español
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Try the Duolingo Stories podcast
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Here is a list of podcasts about our topics available on the BBC Sounds App
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Listen to stories in Spanish on Audible
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El Boletín - a weekly newsletter full of information about Spain and the Spanish-speaking world; fantastic for stimulus card examples! You can find every past issue here in the Student Drive
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Find out more about key figures from Spanish history, such as: los Reyes Católicos, Juana la Loca, Emperador Carlos V, Miguel de Cervantes, Lope de Vega, Federico García Lorca, Antonio Machado, Antoní Gaudí, Francisco Franco, King Juan Carlos I
You could try other works from the A Level set texts list:
Books
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Gabriel García Márquez Crónica de una muerte anunciada
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Laura Esquivel Como agua para chocolate
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Ramón J. Sender Réquiem por un campesino español
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Carlos Ruiz Zafón La sombra del viento (this is also excellent in the English translation, “The Shadow of the Wind”)
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Isabel Allende La casa de los espíritus
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Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer Rimas
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Fernando Fernán-Gómez Las bicicletas son para el verano
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Luis de Castresana El otro árbol de Guernica
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Gabriel García Márquez El coronel no tiene quien le escriba
Films
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María, llena eres de gracia Joshua Marston (2004)
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Volver Pedro Almodóvar (2006)
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Abel Diego Luna (2010)
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Las 13 rosas Emilio Martínez-Lázaro (2007)
Here are some more book suggestions:
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Speak the Culture – Spain by Andrew Whittaker is an excellent introduction to all aspects of Spanish culture. Highly recommended.
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The A to Z of Spanish Culture by Pilar Orti is another introductory book, written by a Spanish woman who grew up in Madrid.
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Ghosts of Spain: Travels Through a Country’s Hidden Past by Giles Tremlett - a history of modern Spain by a prominent journalist. He has also written books on Catherine of Aragón and Isabella of Castile.
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Spain by Jan Morris - Passionate, evocative and beautifully written, Spain is a companion to the country: its people, its history – and its character. First published in 1964 and no less compelling today, Jan Morris's classic work is back in print, bringing Spain, its glory and its tragedy, vividly to life.
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The New Spaniards by John Hooper – The restoration of democracy in 1977 heralded a period of intense change that continues today. Spain has become a land of extraordinary paradoxes in which traditional attitudes and contemporary preoccupations exist side by side. Focussing on issues which affect ordinary Spaniards, from housing to gambling, from changing sexual mores to rising crime rates. John Hooper's fascinating study brings to life the new Spain of the twenty-first century.
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Edexcel A Level History, Paper 3: The Golden Age of Spain 1474-1598 - this is a history revision book, but lots of really useful information if you would like to find out more about the Siglo de Oro.
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The Spanish Civil War by Paul Preston - this is one of many books about this period by Paul Preston, who is widely considered to be the authority on the Civil War.
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Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell - autobiographical book about his experiences fighting for the Republicans during the Spanish Civil War.
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For Whom the Bell Tolls and Fiesta: the sun also rises by Ernest Hemingway - fiction books set in Spain around the time of the Civil War; Hemingway was a journalist working in Spain at the time.
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Lazarillo de Tormes / The Guide Boy of Tormes by Anonymous - the source of the pícaro stock character, or the young boy who gets along by using his wits and tricking those around him (think Tom Sawyer). In addition to being a great example of the literature of the period, Lazarillo is probably the best testament to the façade of wealth during the period, and to the impoverished Castile experienced by ordinary people.
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Don Quixote de la Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes - the first modern novel and it’s a classic for a reason!
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Spanish Short Stories by John R. King is a parallel reader. A gentle introduction to literature!
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Try reading some novels, either in the original Spanish or the English translation, by Gabriel García Márquez, Isabel Allende, Carlos Ruiz Zafón, Mario Vargas Llosa, Ildefonso Falcones, Laura Esquivel or Arturo Pérez-Reverte.
Documentaries on Netflix related to our topics
Spain:
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The Alcàsser Murders (15) – a murder case which shocked Spain
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Examination of Conscience (18) – investigation of child sexual abuse by the Catholic Church
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Parchís: the Documentary (12) - story of a groundbreaking boy-girl pop band from 80s
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What the F* is going on? (15) - gender inequality and feminism in Spain
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Camarón: The Film (12) - about popular flamenco star Camarón de la Isla
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The Least Expected Day: Inside the Movistar Team 2019 (12)
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Money Heist: The Phenomenon (15) / Money Heist: From Tokyo to Berlin (15)
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Two Catalonias (12) – about the independentist movement
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11M: Terror in Madrid (12) – Survivors and insiders recount the terrorist attacks of 11th March 2004
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Franco: The Brutal Truth about Spain’s Dictator (PG)
Latin America:
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Guatemala: Heart of the Mayan World (PG)
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Magical Andes (U)
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Todo sobre el asado (15) – about food in Argentina
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El Pepe, a Supreme Life (12) – about former Uruguayan president José “Pepe” Mujica
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The 43 (15) – the story of 43 students who disappeared in Mexico
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Ayotzinapa, el paso de la tortuga (15) – the story of 43 students who disappeared in Mexico
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Pacificum: El retorno al océano (U) – about Peru
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1994 (15) - about politics in Mexico
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Taco Chronicles (12)
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El testigo (12) – about the Colombian civil war
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Patria (12) - history of Mexico 1854-1867
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Street Food: Latin America (PG)
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Break it all: The history of rock in Latin America (15)
Documentaries on Clickview
These documents list just some of the many programmes we currently have stored in our Clickview Library. You will need to log in with your school email address.
Programmes about South America
Youtube Channels
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Dulceida and LauraEscanes (2 influencers - videos have subtitles)
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Easy Spanish (videos to help you learn Spanish)
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Extra Spanish (a series of 13 episodes – easy to understand)
Recipes
Why not try some Spanish cooking … send us photos of anything you make to go on the AHS Spanish Twitter page! Also, send us any other recipes you try, and we can add them to the list.
Subject intent
- To give students transferable skills for language learning which can be used across all different topic areas and key stages.
- To enable students to be effective communicators in a global world.
- To facilitate the learning of key vocabulary, structures and grammar which allow for effective, accurate communication in the target language.
- To foster a cultural understanding of the target language countries and their place in the wider world. To develop an interest in, and understanding of, music, films, sport, history and other aspects of the culture.
- To allow students to be creative in their use of the target language, confident in their application of the language in a range of contexts.
- To enable students to be independent learners, using all the resources at their disposal to become more proficient language learners.
- To prepare students for their next steps in language education and, ultimately, its role in the workplace and the wider world.
- To inspire students to travel and use their language skills.
- To allow students to see and explore cross-curricular links using their language skills.
Key Stage 3 (Years 7-9) course implementation, learning journey & attainment.
Course content
| Year 7 | Year 8 | Year 9 |
|---|---|---|
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A holiday in Spain:
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Cultural project: Hispanic art |
Cultural project: Hispanic fashion |
Learning Journey
These attainment descriptors clarify the skills/knowledge needed for the different levels of attainment in Years 7–9. For Years 8 and 9 it is always the case that not all of these will have been covered before the summer term. Teachers therefore make a judgement based upon how the skills/knowledge that have been covered have been used by the students before each data collection. This is not the case in Year 7, where students only get 1 term of each language, so everything is covered by the time of each term's data collection.
Students can use these descriptors to focus on particular areas in order to make improvements. For writing and speaking in particular, there are very targeted areas to look at.
Year 7 attainment descriptors
At Key Stage 3, we use "I can" statements for our attainment descriptors. We use a process of 'best fit', whereby you don't necessarily have to meet every criterion to qualify, but you will meet the majority.
Working Towards
| Listening | Reading | Speaking | Writing |
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Working At
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Working Beyond
| Listening | Reading | Speaking | Writing |
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Year 8 attainment descriptors
At Key Stage 3, we use "I can" statements for our attainment descriptors. We use a process of 'best fit', whereby you don't necessarily have to meet every criterion to qualify, but you will meet the majority.
Working Towards
| Listening | Reading | Speaking | Writing |
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Working At
| Listening | Reading | Speaking | Writing |
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Working Beyond
| Listening | Reading | Speaking | Writing |
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Year 9 attainment descriptors
At Key Stage 3, we use "I can" statements for our attainment descriptors. We use a process of 'best fit', whereby you don't necessarily have to meet every criterion to qualify, but you will meet the majority.
Working Towards
| Listening | Reading | Speaking | Writing |
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Working At
| Listening | Reading | Speaking | Writing |
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Working Beyond
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Key Stage 4 (Years 10-11) course implementation, learning journey & assessment info.
Course content
| Year 10 | Year 11 |
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Learning journey
At GCSE level, students are assessed on their ability in 4 different skills. Listening, Speaking, Reading & Writing. This link takes you to the Edexcel specification, which contains all the necessary course information. Assessments take place throughout the 2 years of the course, in addition to Year 10 exams and mocks in the spring term of Year 11.
How will I be assessed?
The following summary is based upon students doing the Higher papers.
| Listening 25% | Reading 25% | Speaking 25% | Writing 25% |
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60 mins All Questions & answers in English 9 comprehension question sections. The exam finishes with a dictation. Multiple choice and short answer options Listen to each item 3 times |
60 mins All Questions & answers in English 8 comprehension question sections. The exam finishes with a translation from Spanish to English at the end. Multiple choice and short answer options |
14 mins prep Read aloud c.1 1/2 mins Role Play c.1 1/2 mins Photo task c.2 mins General conversation 5 mins |
1 hr 20 mins All Questions in English 3 sections 1. 80-90 word task, respond to 4 bullet points 2. 130–150 word task, respond to 4 bullet points 3. Translation into Spanish |
Key Stage 5 (Years 12-13) course implementation, learning journey & assessment info.
Course content
| Year 12 | Year 13 |
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Learning journey
At A level, students are assessed on their ability in 4 different skills. Listening, Speaking, Reading & Writing. This link takes you to the AQA specification, which contains all the necessary course information. Assessments take place throughout the 2 years of the course, in addition to Year 12 exams and mocks in the spring term of Year 13.
How will I be assessed?
| Paper 1 50% | Paper 2 20% | Paper 3 30% |
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Listening, Reading & Translation 2h 30 mins 3 Listening comprehension sections 1 listening summary 4 reading comprehension sections 1 reading summary 1 translation German – English 1 translation English – German |
Writing 2h 1 essay on film 1 essay on play |
Speaking c.23 mins 1 stimulus card relating to one topic. 5 mins prep, 6 mins oral. Independent Research Project (IRP) 2 min presentation and 10 min discussion. Topic chosen and prepared by student on any area of interest related to German. |
Subject impact
Key Stage 3 (Years 7–9)
- Learnt how to use 3 different timeframes, opinions & justifications to prepare for GCSE.
- Developed their language detective skills, giving them an increased awareness of the grammatical terms used in languages, and made links between different languages—metacognition developed from the first week of Year 7.
- Become more confident in trying, even if they may make mistakes.
- Using technology effectively to enhance their learning—we exclusively use digital exercise books in Spanish at Key Stage 3.
- Made cross-curricular links with other subjects, such as History & Geography.
- Improved all four skills: speaking, listening, reading and writing.
- Become familiar with techniques and question styles required at GCSE.
- Had regular opportunities for co-curricular enrichment, through activities such as translation competitions and the Year 9 trip to Valencia.
- Been inspired to carry on studying the language at GCSE.
Key Stage 4 (Years 10-11)
- Reinforced grammar learnt at Key Stage 3 and developed more confidence in its use.
- Become able to access a range of authentic texts and materials and deal with them appropriately.
- Become familiar and confident with the skills required at GCSE.
- Become more confident speakers, able to have short conversations in Spanish, through regular practice with the FLT. Able to respond to a variety of different situations, role plays, different stimuli etc.
- Used exam-style questions in classwork, homework and assessments to prepare for exams.
- Used technology effectively to enhance learning.
- Learnt about diverse cultural aspects of Spanish-speaking countries
- Had regular opportunities for co-curricular enrichment, through activities such as translation competitions and the Year 10 Exchange to Murcia.
- Been inspired to carry on studying the language at A Level.
Key Stage 5 (Years 12–13)
- Developed a life-long love of the Spanish language and passion for Spanish culture.
- Acquired confidence in speaking in Spanish for an extended period of time on a variety of topical issues.
- Acquired the necessary grammatical knowledge to be able to express themselves as accurately and fluently as possible, both when speaking and when writing.
- Acquired the appropriate examination techniques, such as writing summaries & doing translations to enable them to access the top grades at A Level.
- Acquired a thorough knowledge of various current issues in Spanish-speaking countries, such as the political system, immigration and the effects of reunification.
- Developed independent research skills, through the IRP.
- Had opportunities to practise their language skills in a real life situation through an exchange to Murcia in Year 12 and a trip to Madrid in Year 13.
- Been provided with the opportunities, skills and support to enable them to study Spanish and other language-related courses at top universities, including Oxbridge.
- Learnt a life skill which can be married as a skill to any future job.
Feedback in Spanish lessons
This chart explains the types of feedback that students can expect to receive for work done in language lessons/at home.
| Activity | Types of feedback |
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Assessments (all skills) |
Teacher marked → whole class feedback → student self-assessed targets Feedback sheet with statements ticked and/or brief written comments |
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Written tasks e.g. 90 or 150 word tasks |
‘Deep marking’ with targets (could be self-assessed targets) |
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Productive Skills |
Language corrected with ‘suggestions’ → self-assessment targets Could also have brief written comment |
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Oral work in class |
Verbal feedback |
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Oral homework |
Recorded verbal feedback (possibly a mark depending on the nature of the task) |
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Small group oral work/mini whiteboard activities/classwork |
Verbal feedback |
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L&R comprehension exercises |
Self or peer marked |
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Exercise books |
Organisation and completion of work checked when circulating |
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Digital books |
Marking rubric used in Google Classroom – 3 categories (understanding, organisation, completion) Some key exercises corrected with ‘suggestions’ |
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Google Quiz |
Self-marking → self-assessed targets |
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Homework |
Depends on the nature of the task – see above |
School values in Spanish
| Boundless Aspiration | Curious Engagement | Resilient Bravery | Selfless Generosity |
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